Excerpts from Drew Peterson's statement before sentencing

A partial transcript of Drew Peterson's comments before his sentencing Thursday for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

DREW PETERSON: Good day. My name is Drew Peterson. I hope I don't aggravate the situation, but I have a lot of things that I think need to be said.

JUDGE EDWARD BURMILA: Say whatever you choose.

PETERSON: And I have been forced to sit silent since the beginning of all this. (Screaming) I did not kill Kathleen.

SAVIO'S SISTER SUE DOMAN: Yes, you did.

BURMILA: Ma'am, I'd like you to leave the courtroom. Mr. Peterson, don't make any outbursts which are calculated to irritate anyone in the audience. You are speaking to the court now. Please go ahead.

PETERSON: I am sorry, your honor. ... I must have been woozy.

BURMILA: Go right ahead.

PETERSON: For the last couple of years the Illinois State Police in conjunction with the Will County state's attorney's office has conducted the most extensive, expensive and obsessive investigation probably known in the United States. They harassed every family member, friend, friend of friends, neighbor, fellow employee, love interest I have ever had. ... No usable evidence was ever found. ...

What they did uncover was rumors, gossip, outrageous lies, and most importantly unreliable hearsay. ...

Until this happened, I thought I was viewed as a great guy and then (in) moments the media turned me into a monster. First chance I get I am going to get a tattoo on my back from shoulder to shoulder and it's going to read "No good deed goes unpunished." That statement now defines my life. ...

Mr. (Will County State's Attorney James) Glasgow, all aspects of my life have been destroyed. Everything from my personal life to my professional life to my social life, all aspects have been destroyed, and I tell you this to give you greater cause for celebration when you celebrate the fact that you perpetrated the largest railroad job that ever took place in this country. ... I have been held in solitary confinement for almost four years. Due to the bad food and lack of exercise, I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, borderline diabetes, a variety of skin issues, and I've had two bouts with skin cancer. ...

I am not looking for any sympathy, the point I am trying to make is anything you sentence me to, you are sentencing me to the Department of Corrections to die. ...

I can't believe I spent 32 years defending the Constitution that allowed this to happen to me. I can't believe people fought and died in wars to protect the Constitution that allowed this to happen to me. Everybody should be outraged, but nobody cares.

I take full responsibility for my relationship with the media. When this first broke out, the terrifying event took place, my house was barraged with what I believe was 20 media trucks, barrages, every emporium you could imagine, and I just wanted them away from my house because they were scaring my kids. They hounded me. I agreed to go on national TV to tell my side of the story and asked for legal help. ...

I did receive advice from counsel which seemed sound at the time to make as many TV appearances as I could. The same advice was given to Gov. Rod Blagojevich. We share the same publicist, and the same advice was given to us by the same person. Seemed like sound advice at the time.

I am an obnoxious man by nature, truly, and through the years as a police officer, like most police officers, my defense mechanism is always comedy which is normally not seen by the public. The media took it and capitalized on that, exploited that, and my obnoxious nature shined through, but I want to show the court at no time did I, in any way, wish to project any insensitivity to anyone. Did that make sense?

BURMILA: It did, sir. Go ahead.

PETERSON: Kathy's death, it was never my intention throughout these proceedings, no one witness, no one juror, not one prosecutor looked me in the eye until today, and I hope Mr. Glasgow looks me in the eye right now; never forget my face; never forget what you have done here. Originally, I had some cute and funny things to end with but in closing now it's time to sentence an innocent man to a life of hardship and abuse (in) prison, and I don't deserve this. I don't deserve this. Thank you.